Schadenfreude is a prolific compiler in the Inquisitor series and you always know you are going to get a challenge when you see his name.
The preamble was fairly short – "Half of the clue answers must be thematically changed before grid entry and one word in each of the other clues must be thematically changed before solving; their answers are entered normally".
An initial glance through the clues showed that the numbers in brackets after the clues didn’t always match the cells available in the grid which implied that the thematic change wasn’t a jumble a reversal or any other device that kept the number of letters the same.
I got the answer to 1 across straight away, followed by 22 across [which sowed a seed] and then, for me, the theme became clearly apparent fairly quickly when I tried to fit 15 across and 3 down together
The theme was based on homophones (words having the same sound but a different spelling and a different meaning). For normal clues, a homophone of the clue answer was entered. For thematic clues, one word in the clue was changed to its homophone before solving.
The main body of the blog shows all the homophones.
Even with this knowledge, the puzzle still took a while to solve. Solving for me was spread over three sessions to complete the whole puzzle. Some of the parsing didn’t become clear until I wrote the blog but I think I’ve sussed it all now. The clue that took the longest time to parse was the one for 5 down. I had seen the twitter and website messages that indicated that 5 down was 3 words so that wasn’t the problem. I was just fixated on ‘ON’ meaning ‘working’.
It’s an impressive piece of grid compiling to find so many homophones that intersected, and then perhaps even more impressive to write clues with homophones.
The grid looked like this:
The title was STOP SECOND CALLS. I must admit that I can’t relate the title to the theme but I expect someone will explain it to me. I can’t see that any of ‘stop’, second’ or ‘calls’ have obvious homophones.
| Across | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. |
Clue Amended Clue |
Word change |
Wordplay |
Answer Entry (if different) |
|
1
|
Can comic tone upset accompaniment? (12) |
Anagram of (upset) CAN COMIC TONE CONCOMITANCE* |
CONCOMITANCE (accompaniment|)
COMCOMITANTS |
|
| 11 |
One crippling fine wrecks independent processing (7, 2 words) One crippling fine Rex independent processing (7, 2 words) |
wrecks –> Rex |
I (Roman numeral for one) + (an anagram of [crippling] FINE) + R (Rex) + I (independent) I N FIE* R I |
IN FIERI (in course of completion; processing) |
| 13 |
A government might for example back money-changing (8) A government mite for example back money-changing (8) |
might –> mite |
A + G (government) + IOTA (a very small amount) + (EG [for example] reversed [back]) A G IOTA GE< |
AGIOTAGE (money-changing) |
| 14 | Level field acre’s left wild again (9) |
CHAMP (field) + (an anagram of [wild] AGAIN excluding [left] A [acre]) CHAMP AIGN* |
CHAMPAIGN (level, open)
CHAMPAGNE |
|
| 15 | Demolished half of racy bar (5) |
RA (first two letters of four in [half of] RACY) + ZED (bar of metal shaped like the letter Z) |
RAZED (demolished; destroyed)
RAISED |
|
| 16 |
Take the lid off our article penned by crazy nut (5) Take the lid off hour article penned by crazy nut (5) |
our –> hour |
(H [hour] + A [indefinite article]) contained in (penned by) an anagram of (crazy) NUT UN (H A) T* |
UNHAT (take the lid of) |
| 18 |
Letter from abroad covering nationalist pique (4) Letter from abroad covering nationalist peak (4) |
pique –> peak |
ETA (letter of the Greek alphabet; letter from abroad) containing (covering) N (nationalist) ET (N) A |
ETNA (reference Mount ETNA, a volcanic peak on Sicily) |
| 19 |
Group of allopaths initially heal a strangler (8) Group of allopaths initially heel a strangler (8) |
heal –> heel |
G (group of, as in G5, G7 etc) + A (first letter of [initially] ALLOPATHS) + ROTTER (despicable person; heel)
|
GAROTTER (strangler) |
| 22 |
Northern origins unfortunately die (8) Northern origins unfortunately dye (8) |
die –> dye |
N (northern) + an anagram of (unfortunately) ORIGINS N IGROSIN* |
NIGROSIN (blackish coal-tar colour dye) |
| 25 | Outdated valiant ship in poetry (4) |
PROW (archaic [outdated] word for valiant) |
PROW (poetic word for ship) double definition
PRAU |
|
| 27 | Number in race cut once (5) |
N (number) contained in (in) SEED (offspring, descendants, race) S (N) EED |
SNEED (obsolete [once] past tense of SNEE [cut])
SNEAD |
|
| 30 | In Skye Jasper and Ruby perhaps assent to change (6) |
Anagram of (to change) ASSENT STANES* |
STANES (Scottish [Skye] word for STONES, [gems] of which Jasper and Ruby are examples)
STAINS |
|
| 31 | Oak Hill’s committee member hooks into his shade (9) |
UNCI (hooks, plural of UNCUS) contained in (into) COLOR (American [Oak Hill, city in West Virginia] spelling of COLOUR [shade]) CO (UNCI) LOR Oak Hill is a fairly small city so I might have got the American connection right. Perhaps it’s just the spelling of COUNCILOR that gives the American connection. |
COUNCILOR (American spelling of the British word COUNCILLOR [member of a COUNCIL [one definition of which is committee])
COUNSELOR |
|
| 33 |
Quibble about one small island before the end of unstable peace in Florida (8) Quibble about one small island before the end of unstable piece in Florida (8) |
peace –> piece |
(PUN [quibble can be defined as pun] containing [about] [I + CAY [small island]) + E (last letter of [end of] UNSTABLE) P (I CAY) UN E |
PICAYUNE (small coin worth 61/4 cents, current in the US [Florida] before 1857; five-cent piece, or other small coin; anything of little or no value [US slang])). |
|
34
|
Resounding echo interrupting board (7)
|
E (ECHO is international radio communication code word for the letter E) contained in (interrupting) PALING (upright board in a fence) P (E) ALING |
PEALING (resounding in chimes) PEELING |
|
| 35 | Stroke stopping dense profligate caused distress (10) |
TRAIT (stroke) contained in (stopping) an anagram of (profligate) DENSE S (TRAIT) ENED* |
STRAITENED (caused distress)
STRAIGHTENED |
|
| Down | ||||
| No. |
Clue Amended Clue |
Word change |
Wordplay |
Entry |
| 2 |
Old rector pouring whole drink (6) Old rector pouring hole drink (6) |
whole –> hole |
O (old) + R (rector) + GEAT (the hole in a mould through which the metal is poured in casting; pouring hole)
|
ORGEAT (syrup or drink made from almonds, sugar, etc, formerly from barley) |
| 3 |
Riveting night with Heather catching fish (7) Riveting knight with Heather catching fish (7) |
night –> knight |
(N [notation for knight in chess]) + LING [heather]) containing (catching) AI (variant spelling of AYU [small edible Japanese fish]) N (AI) LING |
NAILING (riveting) |
|
4
|
Banger runs into pile of hay (5)
|
R (runs) contained in COCK (small pile of hay) C (R) OCK |
CROCK (e.g. decrepit or broken down car; banger)
CROC |
|
| 5 |
Very busy working not ready to receive mail (7, 3 words) Very busy working not ready to receive male (7, 3 words) |
mail –> male |
(Anagram of [working] NOT + GO [ready]) containing (to receive) HE (nominative masculine form; male) ON T* (HE) GO It took me a long time to parse this as I was convinced for a long time that two of the component parts were ON (working) and HE (male), leaving me with the baffling TGO. Eventually I told myself that one of my component parts must be wrong and I should look at the entry again to see if it could be generated by different wordplay. |
ON THE GO (very active) |
| 6 |
Bergman perhaps at work together with George meddle with absolute rule (6) Bergman perhaps at work together with George Medal with absolute rule (6) |
meddle –> medal | IN (at work) + GM (George Medal) + A (absolute ) + R (rule) | INGMAR (reference INGMAR Bergman [1918 – 2007], Swedish director) |
| 7 |
Old timer’s giving sucker a title of honour held by Italian (6) Old timer’s giving succour a title of honour held by Italian (6) |
sucker –> succour |
A + (DAN [title of honour equivalent to Master or Sir formerly applied esp to monks, and by the poets to great poets, etc.] contained in [held by] IT [Italian]) A I (DAN) T |
AIDANT (archaic [old timer’s] word for aiding or helping [giving succour])
|
| 8 | In Cawdor no Shakespearian mother turned up (3) |
EAN (Shakespearian word for to ‘give birth [mother]) reversed [turned up; down clue) NAE< |
NAE (Scottish [Cawdor] word for no) NEIGH |
|
| 9 | Quarrel with Sweden for following judgement (5) |
FIGHT (quarrel) with S (international vehicle registration for Sweden) replacing (for) F (following) SIGHT |
SIGHT (judgement)
SITE |
|
| 10 | Morag’s joke concerning seconds husbands (6) | BAR (Scottish [Morag] word for joke) + ON (concerning) + S (seconds) | BARONS (husbands)
BARRENS |
|
| 12 |
Queen won over an assurgent prince (4) Queen one over an assurgent prince (4) |
won –> one |
R (Regina; Queen) + A (one) + AN reversed (over) R A NA< |
RANA (Rajput prince) |
| 17 | Charge tenor with injurious influence (5) | T (tenor) + RUST (injurious influence) |
TRUST (charge)
TRUSSED |
|
| 20 |
Cheese maybe served thus at the expense of air staff in Beaune (7, 2 words) Cheese maybe served thus at the expense of air staff in bone (7, 2 words) |
Beaune –> bone |
ON (at the expense of, as in ‘the drinks are ON me’) + (AS [air staff] contained in [in] TOT [bone]) ON TO (AS) T |
ON TOAST (a way of serving cheese) |
| 21 |
Aunt Dottie keeping free from Monday to Wednesday? (7) Aunt dotty keeping free from Monday to Wednesday? (7) |
Dottie –> dotty |
Anagram of (dotty) AUNT containing (keeping) RID (free) T (RID) UAN* |
TRIDUAN (space of three days, e.g. Monday to Wednesday)
|
| 23 |
God protecting a nigh on empty cist (6) God protecting a nigh on empty cyst (6) |
cist –> cyst |
RA (ancient Egyptian sun-god) containing (protecting) A + NULL [empty] excluding only the final letter [nigh on]) L R (A NUL) A |
RANULA (cyst in the gland under the tongue) |
| 24 | Soldier standing up in quiet northern meadow expressing relief (7) |
(GI [American soldier] reversed [standing up; down clue] contained in [in] SH [quiet!]) + ING (Northern English dialect word for meadow, especially one beside a river) S (IG<) H ING
|
SIGHING (expressing relief)
SYEING |
|
| 26 |
Knead bread in the centre of a bakery (6) Need bread in the centre of a bakery (6) |
Knead –> Need |
NAN (type of slightly leavened bread) contained in (in) AKE (the middle letters of [centre of] A BAKERY) A (NAN) KE |
ANANKE (necessity; need) |
| 28 | Drifting snow king is acquainted with (5) |
Anagram of (drifting) (SNOW and K (king) KNOWS* |
KNOWS (is acquainted with)
NOSE |
|
| 29 | Hard worker doesn’t begin well (5) | TOILER (hard worker) excluding the opening letter (doesn’t begin) T |
OILER (OIL well)
EULER |
|
| 31 | Manage without special brush (5) |
COPE (manage) containing (without; outside) S (special) COP (S) E |
COPSE (dense thicket of trees and bushes, esp one used for periodical cutting of twigs and branches; [brush]wood) COPS |
|
| 32 |
Poet’s prevalent female appears in serial (6) Poet’s prevalent female appears in cereal (6) |
serial –> cereal |
F (female) contained in (in) RYE (edible grain; cereal) RY (F) E |
RYFE (Spenserian [poetic] word for RIFE [prevalent]) |
HO=stop, MO=second, PHONES=calls
HolyGhost@1
Thanks – it’s obvious now you have spelled it out
There’s many a Schadenfreude I’ve been unable to complete over the years, but this one clicked. As with Duncan, I couldn’t get ny head around the parsing for 5D. I’d seen JH’s tweet so knew the word count was incorrectly published. Thanks for clearing that up Duncan and of course for the blog. Another PDM too with HolyGhost’s first comment.
Some clever cluing here, my favourite being 26D. Thanks again Schadenfreude.
My best wishes and thanks to all the bloggers, setters and editorial team for another marvellous year of Inquisitors.
We completed the puzzle with a certain amount of difficulty. We hadn’t seen any tweets about 5d (the only tweets we have are of the feathered variety) but it was pretty obvious that it was correct.
We couldn’t work out the relevance of the title – all so obvious now that we have read HolyGhost@1 – many thanks for that.
Thanks to Schadenfreude and Duncan but we would also like to echo Phil R with his general comments. The IQ is still in top spot as far as crosswords are concerned.
I was happy to get the concept relatively early in the solving process, but it still wasn’t plain sailing. A clever and very enjoyable puzzle. Thanks to both setter and blogger – and I’d like to echo previous comments on the whole year.
A definite win for the setter – I worked out what I needed to do, but still only managed to fill three quarters of the grid. Perhaps if I’d had more time and persevered I might have finished, but with the looming festive season…
I seem to remember feeling that it took me far too long to work out what was going on with this, and even when I did it was still hard work. There were quite a few obscure clues for obscure words made all the more difficult by not having reliable checking letters. But still, a welcome challenge and I think I’d chipped away at almost all my lingering question marks, with only the peculiar ‘Oak Hill’ in 31A and the title (thanks to HG for sorting this out) left to ponder over.
Thanks to Duncan, Schadenfreude and to all involved in the IQs for yet another vintage year.
The usual grateful thanks for both puzzle and blog. When the setter is Schadenfreude I expect the going to be tough (though always fair), but felt a surge of festive bonhomie when the theme dawned on me at an early stage and CALLS/PHONES soon provided the key to the title. The usual abject admiration for the ingenuity of IQ setters – this time Schadenfreude finding and weaving together all those homophones.
Happy New Year to all!
I enjoyed this one very much. Happily I was on the setter’s wavelength this time and the clues fell one after another in a very satisfying way; tricky but I never came to a complete halt as usually happens to me at some point with the IQ.
I still don’t understand Oak Hill. Why is that a notably American location? There are several places listed in Wikipedia under that name but they range from small to tiny. Oak Hill Academy in London houses more people that many of these places. A very odd choice.
I didn’t understand the title, but that is an optional extra as far as I am concerned.
Thanks to Shadenfreude, Duncan and JH for bringing it all together. What a marvellous series of puzzles!
PeeDee@9 – Oak Hill is an area in Chicago. If you are interested in architecture it’s a ‘must see’ destination due to the number of buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.
Happy New Year everyone……
Hello B&J – Oak Hill does not get a mention at all on Chicago’s Wikipedia page. A search on Google for “Oak Hill Chicago” did not return any results about the area either. The name doesn’t show up in Chicago on Google maps either.
Surely this can’t be the answer?